Towel dispensing apparatus



May 17, 1938.

R. G. BIRR TOWEL DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 9,

4 Sheets-Sheet l ArroR/VEYJ May 17, 1938. R. G. BIRR TOWEL DISPENS ING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 9, 19:55

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 P00002# 6I B/ee ATTORNEYS May 17, 1938. R. G. BIRR TOWEL DISPENSING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 9, 1935 r ,1., f -n May 17, 1938. R. G. BIRR TOWEL DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 9, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 j j/i www TTORNEY Patented May 17, 1.938

PATENT OFFICE TOWEL DISPENSING APPARATUS Rudolph G. Birr, Lombard, Ill.,

assigner to Steiner Sales Company, Salt Lake City, Utah,

a corporation of Utah Application August 9, 1935, Serial No. 35,503

4 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanism for dispensing various types of drying units, for eX- ample paper towels, and is adapted for dispensing various forms of drying units of the interfolded type, wherein the pulling out of one towel pulls the end of the next towel into a position to be advanced by the feeding means.

A very important feature is the provision of means for regulating the advance of the supply so that withdrawal friction of the sheets or units is reduced to and maintained at a minimum, and so that this desirable result is obtained for all weights, thicknesses and grains or grades of paper.

Heretofore it has been the practice to provide a stack 'of units: and to successively remove the units from the bottom of the stack. Under these conditions, at first, the weight of the stack acted on the bottom-most sheet to create an undesirable degree of frictional withdrawal resistance sufficient to make withdrawal difficult, if not impossible. As withdrawal continued and the weight of the stack decreased, Withdrawal resistance was gradually lessened. This varying degree of withdrawal resistance is very unsatisfactory and the conditions were such at times as to seriously interfere with Withdrawal. In other words, dependable feed was not obtainable.

In the present device the units are removed from the top of the pile, the entire pile is advanced against the action of gravity toward the feeding means and withdrawal friction is always maintained at aminimum whatever the height of the pile.

The preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated herein includes as a feature means by which the units are delivered from the upper part or top of a cabinet as distinguished from delivery from the lower part or bottom. Another feature is the feeding of the sheets from the top of the pile.

Another feature in combination is means for preventing quick successive operations of the feeding mechanism, thus making it necessary for the user to wait for some predetermined time period before he can obtain a second unit.

Other features of the invention include: the delivery of the towels from. the top of the cabinet; the arrangement of the feeding means above the towel supply; the compact arrangement of the feeding means adjacent the top of the cabinet; the feeding of a pile of units against the action of gravity; the means for regulating the frictional withdrawal resistance of each unit to make such resistance uniform; the use of a spring for (Cl. S12- 54) the last mentioned purpose; the use of a spring as the sole means for supporting the Weight of and advancing a stack, pile or supply of drying units, interfolded or not interfolded; the use of means forcibly automatically acting to advance the supply support with a gradually lessening application of force as the weight of the supply is reduced following successive removal of the units; all the details of construction shown; and the broader ideas of means inherent in the disclosure, along with combinations and subcombinations of such means.

Objects, features and advantages of the invention will be .set forth in the description of the drawings forming a part of this application, and in said drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section taken approximately on line l-l of Figure 2 showing the feed ing mechanism in inactive position;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken approXi- 20 mately on line 2 2 of Figure 1 with the feeding and timing mechanism disposed as at the beginning of the timing period;

Figure 3 is a plan section on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section of the upper part of the cabinet, similar to Figure 1, but showing the feeding mechanism conditioned for feeding, and showing in dotted lines the position of the feed roll throw-out cam;

Figure 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Figure 2, with the stop mechanism at stop position, and timing just beginning; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken approximately on line 6--6 of Figure 2 with the feeding rolls in feeding position, and showing the pawl for preventing reverse rotation of the feeding means.

The drawings illustrate an important embodiment of the invention adapted particularly for handling drying units of the interfolded type, but it is understood that the broader aspects of the invention are not limited to the details, although the specic construction is claimed.

In the drawings, numeral l indicates a casing or cabinet which has a door 2 suitably hinged as at 3, and having a suitable lock 4. Within the cabinet are arranged two upright plates indicated at l0 and l l, said plates being spaced from the end walls of the cabinet and being suitably secured to the top, rear, and bottom walls of the casing l, In the upper wall l2 of the cabinet is a towel delivery opening formed by cutting and turning back the metal as at IS to form a slot Ili. tion.

Plates I'l-I8 are arranged below the slot I4 to form a throat I9 leading upwardly to the opening or slot. Through this throat the paper is delivered from the feed rolls. A feature of this invention is the upward delivery of the units or sheets to a point outside of the cabinet for access by the user. 'Ihe throat-forming plates are suitably secured to the upper wall I2 and to vertical plates IU and II.

An upwardly acting feeding mechanism is arranged below and immediately adjacent the lower end of the throat formed by plates I'I and I8. Referring first to Figures l and 4: Numeral 26 indicates a feed roll shaft horizontally journaled in the plates Ill and il and extending outwardly through those plates, see Figures 2 and 6. To the end of the shaft is xed a gear 25 which meshes with a second gear 26 fixed to a shaft 2'I, journaled in plates I and I I and extending through the end wall 28 of the casing I, and having attached thereto crank handle 3E). A pawl 32 prevents rotation of the shaft 26 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 6, the feeding direction being counter-clockwise. Attached between the gear 25 and the wall Il is a throw-out cam 35, and attached at the opposite end of the shaft 25, (see Figures 2, 3 and 5) is a similar cam 36. These cams are engageable with a shaft 46 having thereon feed roll i I. This shaft 60 is translatable in horizontal slots 62 to be moved into and out of operative relation with the feed roll of the shaft 28, and is urged toward the roll by means of springs, one at each end of the shaft and attached as at to the plates I6 and II. Each spring engages a stop 45 and the other arm passes through an opening in a clip 66 circumscribing said shaft 40.

The clips 36 are slotted as at 4l (see Figure 3) so that the cams 35 and 36 can directly engage the shaft. Figures l, 3 and 5 show the separated or non-feeding position of the rolls, and Figures 4 and 6 show the rolls in feeding position. The cams have notches 56 which are adapted to assume releasably locked relation with the shaft.

Referring to Figure l: Two plates are respectively indicated at Sil-6I. These plates form a throat 62 leading upwardly and delivering to the feed rolls. The plates are suitably secured to the plates I6 and il by screws as shown. The support for the pile or supply of units is indicated 63 and is moved against the action of gravity to advance the supply toward the feeding means. The supply is generally indicated at 65, and in this instance each unit 66 is of the interfolded type.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3: Each plate Bil- 6I is provided, in its horizontal portion, with downwardly convex projections 62 which may be considered point contact friction elements against which the topmost drying unit of a pile of units is lightly pressed, in the manner hereinafter mentioned.

Referring to Figure 4: During withdrawal of one sheet, the topmost portion 66 of the next sheet is pulled between the spaced rolls, and then the roll 4I is brought to feeding position and rotated. There is no intention to `entirely limit the invention to the type of units fed, since delivery from the top of a pile, as distinguished from the bottom, may be accomplished for other types of units and with other types of feeding means.

In order to automatically move the support 63 upwardly and maintain only a light degree of frictional withdrawal resistance, a spring I6 of This top delivery is a feature of the invensubstantially conical spiral type is used. The base end of the spring II is operatively associated with and, in this instance, engages the bottom of the support 63, and the apex 2l of the spring is immovably secured as at 'I3 to the bottom wall 'I4 of the casing I. The support is provided with projecting pins l5, see Figures 1 and 2, extending from opposite sides outwardly through vertical guide slots I6 of plates Ill and I I.

Although the specic form of spring has been shown and is claimed, other means may be provided for forcibly automatically acting on the support with a gradually lessening application of force as the weight of the pile or supply is reduced, following successful removal of the units. A very light compression of the pile is produced so that the proper degree of frictional resistance is maintained between the uppermost sheet and the downwardly convex elements 62 of the throatforming plates 60 and 6I.

In order to prevent quick successive operation of the feeding mechanism and to thus make it necessary for the user to wait for some predetermined time period before he can obtain a second drying unit the following means is provided: Referring rst to Figures 2 and 5: On the shaft 26 at a point outwardly beyond the cam 36 which is adjacent plate Ill, is attached an arm 80 and to this arm is pivoted a link 8l slotted as at 82. The numeral 83 indicates the barrel of the dashpot type of timer having the usual adjusting screw 93 and having the usual stem 84. The stem has a head 85 engaged by fork 86 of a slide 8l slidably held in brackets 89-90. 'Ihe slide is bent as at 9|, to provide the oifset portion 92, which is guided in the upper guide 90 and which acts as a stop, extending above this guide in position to oppose the movement of the arm B when the timer is set as shown in Figure 5. At the end of the timing period this portion 92 assumes the position shown in Figure 2 permitting the arm 86 to move in clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 5, to cause the cams 35--36 to release roll shaft All and allow it to assume feeding position, and on operation of crank 30 to feed another unit, as the motion in clockwise direction continues.

The slide 81 is operated by the link 8| and for this purpose has a projection 95 passing through the slot 82, a suitable split key 96 being used to prevent detachment. 'Ihe elements 86-92 and related parts constitute a time stop mechanism. The notches 55 also act, after the arm 80 has engaged the stop 92, to back olf the arm to avoid frictional contact between arm and stop, which contact would interfere with the downward timing motion of slide 8l. These notches act to retract the arm 86 to the position shown in Figure 5, slightly spaced as shown at 98 away from the part 92.

Although the construction of the timer is not shown it will be understood that after the piston is raised as shown in Figure and released, the piston automatically travels downwardly at a regulated rate to bring the stop 92 to the position shown in Figure 2, thus permitting another feeding operation.

Operation Assume the parts to be positioned as shown in Figures l and 5 which correspond to a locked position of the mechanism in which position feeding is prevented. This corresponds to the beginning of the timing period. Under action of the timer, the element 81 will travel down- 75 wardly to the dot-and-dash line position shown in Figure 5, As soon as its upper end arrives at a level below the lower end of the arm 80, another operation will be possible. Assuming that the arm is free to turn, the operator manipulates the crank to rotate the shaft in clockwise direcion as viewed in Figure 5. During the first part of the rotation, the cams 35-36 release the shaft 4I and the shaft moves to the feeding position shown in Figure 4. At the same time the link 8l begins to rise and acts by means of a pin to raise the timer stem 84 to set the timer. This setting is completed at the end oi the half revolution of the shaft 20. At the end of a complete rotation of shaft 20, the arm 8G engages the stop 92 and then, after the operator releases the crank, the rotation of the shaft 20 is reversed slightly by the action of depressions 50 of cams 35-36 to back off the arm to the position shown in Figure 5.

I claim as my invention:

1. A mechanism for dispensing drying units comprising a cabinet having a delivery orifice in its top wall, a support and means for advancing it to move a pile of units toward the top, a throat, feeding means upwardly to which the throat delivers, means for operating the feeding means, and a guide leading upwardly to said orice to receive a fed unit and guide it to a forwardly slanted accessible position.

2. A mechanism for dispensing drying units comprising, a cabinet having a delivery orifice in its top wall, a support and means for automatically advancing it to move a pile of units toward the top, a throat comprising two upwardly convergent plates, feeding means upwardly to which the throat delivers comprising two rolls normally separated to allow a sheet to pass therebetween and by both of which rolls a sheet is fed, means for causing one of said rolls to move toward and away from feeding position when one of the rolls is rotated, and a guide leading upwardly to said orifice to receive a fed unit and guide it to a forwardly slanted accessible position.

3. A mechanism for dispensing' drying units comprising, a cabinet having a delivery orifice in its top wall, a support and means for automatically advancing it to move a pile of units toward the top, a throat comprising two upwardly convergent plates with which the topmost sheet of the pile engages only over a small area, feeding means upwardly to which the throat delivers, means operating the feeding means, a guide leading upwardly to said orifice to`receive a fed unit and guide it to an accessible position.

4. A mechanism for dispensing drying units comprising a cabinet having therein a pair of spaced vertical plates having vertical guide slots, a support having guide pins operating in said slots, and means moving the support upwardly to advance a pile of toweling units thereon, means against which the topmost units are pressed, in a manner to reduce friction to a minimum, unit feeding means above said last mentioned means, and a delivery opening through which said feeding means delivers a unit for access to the user.

RUDOLPH G. BIRR. 

